by Brian O'Neill

The perfect band for Roadrunner Records, Chimaira takes nu-metal syncopation and ideology, balances it with hints of death metal's angst-overdose (vocalist Mark Hunter has a distinctively brutal screech), and punctuates it with a more-than-expected electronic influx to create a fairly unique sound. The experimentation doesn't take away from the heaviness or accessibility, however, as the Cleveland group takes Fear Factory's noise to another level of intensity.